Health news: pregnancy vitamins, vitamin K & depression

1. Dressing on the side? No thanks!

According to a new study, you'll get a lot more out of your salad if you dress it. No - not in a fancy frock, olive oil will do. That's because new research found that 8 fat-soluble vitamins, plus beta-carotene and three other carotenoids, were more effectively absorbed when consumed with oil-based salad dressing. 

Better absorption of the nutrients promotes a range of health benefits, including cancer prevention and eyesight preservation. But don't be stingy! The study also found that the amount of oil added to vegetables had a proportional relationship with the amount of nutrient absorption.

2. Multivitamins in pregnancy linked to lower autism risk in children

Adjusting for several potentially influencing factors in both mothers and children, researchers have found that multivitamin use during pregnancy(with or without additional iron and/or folic acid) was associated with a lower likelihood of the child having autism, relative to mothers who did not use folic acid, iron, and multivitamins. 

The research indicates that autism most likely develops in the womb and that a mother's diet during pregnancy could have an influence. The study cannot establish cause and effect, however, but the researchers say these findings "raise questions that warrant investigation". 

Looking for a pregnancy-approved multivitamin? Discover the VITL Pregnancy range - highly-absorbable, filler-free vitamins and minerals to support you and your body through each stage of your pregnancy, from pre-conception all the way through to breastfeeding 

3. Don't like green tea? Don't worry, black tea has its benefits too

For the first time, researchers have found that black tea may promote weight loss and other health benefits by changing bacteria in the gut. They found that both black and green tea changed the ratio of bacteria associated with obesity, which decreased, and bacteria associated with lean body mass, which increased. 

This shows that the benefits of both green tea and black tea go beyond their antioxidant benefits and that both teas have a strong, positive impact on the gut microbiome.

4. Vitamin K, more than O.K. for heart health 

A new study has found that not eating enough vitamin K could put you at a higher risk of unhealthy enlargement of your heart's major pumping chamber. Unlike other muscles, a larger heart can become inefficient and ineffective. 

Vitamin K1 (also known as phylloquinone) is the predominant form of vitamin K in the Western diet and is found in foods such as spinach, cabbage, iceberg lettuce and olive oil. The study found that otherwise healthy adolescents who consumed the least vitamin K1 had a risk 3.3 greater of this heart defect. 

Only 25% of participants in the study met the currently recommended intake levels of vitamin K, which is also known to play an important role in blood clotting and healthy bones. 

Worried you're not getting enough vitamin K? The VITL multivitamin contains 50% of your RDA of vitamin K1, find out more here. 

5. Just one hour a week could prevent depression

In the largest and most extensive study of its kind, an analysis of over 33,000 Norwegian adults had their levels of exercise and symptoms of depression and anxiety monitored over 11 years found that 12% depression cases could have been prevented if participants undertook just one hour of physical activity a week. The study also found that doing no exercise at all put the participants at a 44% increased chance of developing depression compared to those who were exercising one to two hours a week. 

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More from VITL Life

• Get that hour of exercise in with this easy, at-home workout

• Boost your vitamin K intake with this simple soup recipe

• Now you know about black tea, but did you know what happens when you drink green tea every day?